Sierra Leone trade unionists visit the TUC

Sierra Leone trade unionists' visit

Interviewed by Gemma Tumelty

October 2009

On 26 October 2009 Muluku Tarawally, Project Coordinator and Max Conteh, Head of Education and Training from the Sierra Leone Labour Congress (SLLC) came to visit the TUC. The SLLC has a three year project with the TUC, funded by the Department for International Development, which is now in its last year. The project, through a comprehensive programme of education and training, aims to build the capacity of unions to recruit and retain members and to strengthen trade union structures, institutions and networks. It is also addressing issues relating to the protection and promotion of workers in the informal sector while paying special attention to the concerns, needs and interests of women trade unionists. You can read about the project in more detail on the TUC website.

The project has so far had a great impact with wide ranging achievements for example; an increase in membership of 7.2%, four new affiliated unions - all from the informal sector, increased engagement with the Sierra Leone Government on governance issues, a 20% increase in salaries of workers in the public sector and small increases in the Hotel, Utilities, Construction and Industrial sectors.

Muluku and Max were in the UK with academics from the University of Sierra Leone to meet academics from Northumbria University to develop an education project funded by the British Council. The University of Sierra Leone (Fourah Bay College), Northumbria University and the SLLC bid successfully to the British Council's Education Partnerships in Africa project. The programme will run as a pilot for the next 18 months and will consist of English Language and communication skills modules for trade unionists. The delegation from Sierra Leone have been discussing with colleagues from Northumbria University, exactly how the course will be developed and implemented. The final outcome will be a written package of materials validated by the University in Sierra Leone and a gateway for trade unionists into higher education.

As a consequence of both these activities the SLLC has become more engaged with the staff representatives at the University in Sierra Leone. Staff are organised into academic staff associations on campus with no trade union status or national recognition across the two universities in the country. The SLLC has had informal discussions with the staff associations in an effort to seek to register them as a trade union and, subsequently, provide training and support. Whilst in the UK Max and Muluku met with Sally Hunt, General Secretary and Alastair Hunter, President of the University and College Union to discuss this.

We took the opportunity to catch up with them briefly about their thoughts on the TUC-SLLC project.

How has the project been going, what challenges have you faced and what impact do you think that is has had?

Muluku: It has been great, there are challenges in the final year mostly how to sustain the project once the funding stops. There have also been some problems in meeting objectives. There is a challenge in that the Government has only signed two key conventions. But there has been a great impact on peoples lives for example in the wage increases that we have won for public sector workers, we now have greater participation both in our union structures and in the numbers wanting to become union members.

Max: Working with this Government has been slightly easier than working with the last one, the election was in 2007, and this Government is more proactive in terms of our demands. Before we were requesting time and time again that the Government should do a review of the Labour Laws, this Government is actually doing it. They are not just listening either, they are implementing our suggestions. All of the Labour Laws are being reviewed and as part of the project Thompsons Solicitors are assisting. The key ones for us are regulation of wages and health and safety. We are expecting a new bill at the end of the year.

Part of the project was to empower women trade unionists; do you think that this has been successful?

Muluku: Women are now much more committed and active in the Labour movement, so much so we may have created a problem for ourselves! Women now want to get involved in every level of trade unions.

Max: most sectors are male dominated in terms of the workforce, so it means their unions are also. The service sector, teachers and health workers, are more female dominated. However, in some unions we have reached almost 30% participation and representation of women. It is difficult, we are in Africa, there are cultural challenges, we are under developed, the west has had centuries to get to where they are in terms of women's participation and involvement in society, it doesn't happen over night, it is low process, but we are developing. We have run some programmes specifically for women as when unions select their delegations they tend to still send men, so we are running women only training events and programmes. In fact, one of the strongest committees within our Congress is the women's committee.